Abstract
Objective To understand the relationship between urinary stones and the gut microbiome and to screen for microbial species that may be involved in stone formation. Methods Stool samples were collected from patients with urolithiasis and healthy patients between March and December 2017. The samples were analyzed by 16S sequencing to determine differences in the microbiome profiles between the two groups. The mouse model was established and was divided into two groups. Fecal samples were collected from the mice before gavage and three weeks postgavage for microbiome analysis. The microbial population of each group was analyzed to screen for microbial species that may affect the formation of urinary stones. Differences in the number of crystals in the renal tubules of the mice were examined by necropsy. Results The microbial composition was different between urolithiasis patients and healthy controls. The urolithiasis patients had significantly reduced microbial abundance; however, increased proportions of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were detected compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the abundance of Alistipesindistinctus and Odoribactersplanchnicus was significantly increased in the urolithiasis patients compared to the healthy controls. In addition, the incidence of urolithiasis was much higher in the experimental mouse group (stone solution + urolithiasis patient stool) than in the control mouse group. However, the microbial abundance before gavage was not significantly different from that seen three weeks postgavage. Conclusion Theurolithiasis patients in this study had a different gut microbiome when compared with that of healthy individuals. The altered microbiome increased the rate of crystal formation in renal tubules and accelerated urinary stone formation in the mouse model of urolithiasis.
Highlights
Urolithiasis is a common disease among inpatients in the division of urology
It is unclear whether the difference in microbial abundance between urolithiasis patients and controls was the cause of stone formation or the consequence of other factors, such as antibiotic exposure and diet [2]
The deviation in this patient may be attributable to the effect of antibiotics on the gut microbiome
Summary
Urolithiasis is a common disease among inpatients in the division of urology. Epidemiological studies from Europe and the U.S have shown that 5%-10% of individuals develop urinary stones at least once in their lifetime. Studies have shown that the gut microbiome is associated with numerous human diseases but its role in the pathophysiology of urolithiasis is not known. A recent study found that the composition of the gut microbiome was significantly different between urolithiasis patients and nonurolithiasis patients [1]. It is unclear whether the difference in microbial abundance between urolithiasis patients and controls was the cause of stone formation or the consequence of other factors, such as antibiotic exposure and diet [2]. This study is aimed at examining the effect of the gut microbiome and its mechanism of action in urinary stone formation in order to provide a basis for further research in this area
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